Band:	Týr
Album:	The Lay Of Thrym
Style:	Folk metal
Release date:	May 27, 2011
Guest review by:	flamey

01. Flames Of The Free
02. Shadow Of The Swastika
03. Take Your Tyrant
04. Evening Star
05. Hall Of Freedom
06. Fields Of The Fallen
07. Konning Hans
08. Ellindur Bondi A Jadri
09. Nine Words Of Lore
10. The Lay Of Thrym
11. I [Black Sabbath cover] [bonus]
12. Stargazer [Rainbow cover] [bonus]

Faroese Viking metallers Týr don't seem like they want to take a break as they're back with The Lay of Thrym, not long after their previous effort By the Light of the Northern Star. Týr is (more like, was) one of those rare bands that has managed to create their own sound in a genre where most others just try to get their share out of the hype by following the genre's basic formulas. On the other hand, Týr had a distinct progressive touch, utilize no death vocals and managed to blend this progressive/heavy metal successfully with their traditional Faroese music. This, however, has started to change recently.

The band is no longer bothered with being progressive. As Heri Joensen stated in some interviews, they deliberately took a more straightforward approach starting with By the Light of the Northern Star. That album saw the band drifting away from long, mid tempo, hard to appreciate song structures to basically everything that is the opposite. Melodic, fast, catchy, easy to grasp, not demanding. So this "progression" continues with The Lay of Thrym. Every song on this album has seemingly been written with one purpose only: to make one raise the fists and sing along. Nearly every song except the ballad "Evening Star" is fast, melodic, simple and chorus oriented. This may appear a bad thing, and when looking back at the band's more progressive and original past, it's indeed a pity. However, they play this new style damn well. It might be cheesy and simple but even after a few listens one realises that the songs are playing in one's mind over and over again. If they want to get more new fans, which apparently they do, this new style is much more fitting to this purpose.

Although nearly all the songs prove a pleasant listen, I cannot help but wish that there were more Faroese (or Danish for that matter) songs on the album. Only one Faroese and one Danish song really remind me that it's actually a Týr album instead of just another Viking/power metal band's album. I hope the group will not stray so drastically far away from their roots in the upcoming albums and include more of the style which got them where they are today.

In the end, this is a simple, straightforward and easy-to-digest album which is still enjoyable nonetheless. But I have to say I'm afraid of Týr becoming another one of those gimmicky bands in the folk metal scene which are not taken seriously any more (you know who you are). Fans of melodic folk/heavy/power metal may pretty much enjoy this, but don't expect an album which you will keep coming back to.